The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Home Contents Insurance Claims

While a move can be exciting, relocating to another property takes a significant amount of careful planning and coordination. Whether you’re considering an end-of-year move or just exploring the possibility of finding another house, it’s essential to remember to update your House Insurance. 

If you haven’t taken out House Insurance before or are unfamiliar with the benefits of Home Insurance, Auto&General Insurance has you covered. 

Moving house: the good, the bad, and the ugly

According to the REMAX National Housing Report Q1 2025, while South African property [U1] sales have decreased overall, South Africans haven’t abandoned the property market. Demand has remained robust in more affordable areas versus popular ones. 

Be aware of the risks before packing those boxes. 

The good: why a move can be empowering 

If you’re buying a home soon, you likely have carefully planned for it for the following reasons:

• An investment in your future. Purchasing a home isn’t just about having a roof over your head; it’s about building long-term stability and financial security. Property often appreciates in value over time, giving you the potential to grow your wealth. Every bond payment you make increases your equity, helping you create a valuable asset that can benefit you and your family for years to come.

• More space or balance to accommodate a growing family or joining the popular ‘semigrating’ trend, offering you a different lifestyle. A new property can give the spacious entertainment area you've dreamed of, or easier access to your workplace or your children’s schools, so you can bypass traffic. 

The bad: challenges that can catch first-time movers out

Challenges accompany even the smoothest property purchasing process.

• Cost of moving: When we pack up our house, we often discover we have more junk than we know what to do with and have a tight deadline to offload it. Then there’s the steep cost of hiring a professional mover to protect fragile and bulky items — some of which can mysteriously go missing or get damaged along the way.

• Short-term costs and emotional toll: It’s a commonly cited fact that moving house is one of the most stressful things a person can experience, ranking somewhere between losing a loved one or getting a divorce. If your new home isn’t ready for you, paying for time-consuming minor renovations, deep cleaning, or temporary storage can outgrow your budget. And this might mean that your family will need to absorb the cost of short-term accommodation until you can officially take occupancy, causing some distress and disruption along the way.

The ugly: when things go seriously wrong 

While it admittedly isn’t common, you could face more than a few minor disruptions when you move house — and they could seriously hamper your ability to enjoy your new home or even force you to reconsider your purchase. 

Rejected insurance claims can cause a significant amount of stress, often stemming from failing to update your Home Insurance or a failure to take out House Insurance in the first place.

• Transit coverage is not automatic: You may assume your affordable insurance covers the transit process when in reality it doesn’t.

• Undisclosed change of address: You could fail to notify your insurers of the exact date you took occupancy, which means that should you get robbed, your claim might be rejected as you were technically out of coverage.

•  Wear-and-tear costs: Finally, you could experience wear and tear on items you previously never worried about, as you’ve had them for ages, only to notice their damage when you removed them for the move. This damage may not be covered either. 

4 Ways to keep House Insurance current when you move 

While you can never plan for everything, one of the benefits of House Insurance is that it offers some control over the process when it comes to relocating. To prevent unnecessary headaches, here are some ways you can protect yourself and your future home. 

1. Take inventory and keep it updated

Having an accurate inventory will allow you to see if any major items aren’t covered or if you need to make some adjustments. This will ensure that, should you get robbed or experience some other kind of damage to your belongings after you move, you will be financially protected and experience minimal delays in claiming.  

2. Inform your insurer ahead of the moving day

The moment your home purchase is finalised, let your insurer know and provide them with all the relevant details and paperwork. This will help them seamlessly cease your cover at your old home and update your address on all policies without gaps in cover or overlap.  

3. Cover your move 

Before you organise moving vans, check to see if your home insurance covers the physical move. It might not be, or it might have certain exclusions, such as no cover for items transported in a personal vehicle. Be aware of these exclusions and terms.

FAQs - what to know about  Home Insurance 

Still have questions? The following may answer them. 

What happens if I move and forget to notify my insurer?

If you forget to notify your insurer, you could have any House Insurance claim made in your new property denied or your insurance cancelled. 

Are my household goods covered during a move?

Typically, no. Home Insurance typically doesn’t cover items during transit. If you are moving valuable items or many items over a long distance, you might want to consider "just-in-transit" moving insurance. Alternatively, hiring a reputable moving company with its own insurance could offer protection for your items.

Should I update the value of insured items after I relocate? 

Yes, many of us purchase new items or replace old ones when we relocate. Be sure to make an updated market value of any insured item to prevent under-coverage if you need to replace something. 

Do I need to keep insurance on both homes during the transition? 

Yes, you should retain your Property Insurance until the ownership has officially changed and the sale is transferred. This applies to the home you are selling and the home you are buying. If you are using the same insurer, they could waive or limit overlapping fees. 

Get a Home Insurance quote and be prepared for moving day

Still have questions about your House Insurance, or looking for affordable insurance? Auto&General can address all your Property Insurance questions and concerns so you experience a better move. Contact us for more information and a Home Insurance quote today. 

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Sources:

1 cbcnews.com: https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/survey-finds-moving-is-more-stressful-for-many-than-getting-divorced-having-kids/

2remax.co.za: https://www.remax.co.za/blog/article/remax-national-housing-report-q1-2025

Disclaimer: The information in this article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal, or medical advice.